BACKGROUND: To identify the prevalence and related factors for vitamin D deficiency in the patients who admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a Korean tertiary care hospital. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data from ICU patients requiring mechanical ventilation (MV) for a period of > 48 h to identify the prevalence and associated factors for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency was defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level < 20 ng/mL. RESULTS: Among 570 patients admitted to the ICU, 221 were enrolled in the study, 194 in the vitamin D deficient group and 27 in the non-deficient group. Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in critically ill patients was 87.8%. The patient age was lower in the vitamin D deficient group compared with the non-deficient group (64.4 ± 15.4 vs. 71.0 ± 9.6 years, p = 0.049). A higher acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) score (odds ratio [OR] 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10-1.37) and chronic illness (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.08-9.01) were associated with vitamin D deficiency after adjusting for age and body mass index. Clinical outcomes of duration of MV, ICU stay, and 28- and 90-day mortality rates were not significantly different between the vitamin D deficient and nondeficient groups. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin D deficiency was common in critically ill patients, particularly among younger patients. Higher APACHE II score and chronic illness were associated with vitamin D deficiency.
APACHE ; Body Mass Index ; Calcitriol ; Chronic Disease ; Critical Care ; Critical Illness* ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Mortality ; Prevalence* ; Respiration, Artificial ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Healthcare ; Vitamin D Deficiency* ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the breast is an uncommon carcinoma accounting for less than 1% of the breast carcinoma. This type of carcinoma has a distinctive histology, such as cylindromatous, cribriform, glandlike space and solid pattern in the variable proportion. Prognosis is favorable with rare recurrence or metastasis and the guideline for therapy is not well established. We experienced a case of ACC of right breast in the 48 year-old woman. Cytologically, it showed numerous three-dimensional, well outlined cell clusters with central core of homogeneous, eosinophilic material. The mass was well demarcated, firm and measured 2.5 2.5 2 cm. Cut surface was yellowish white and granular with focal necrosis. Histologically, the tumor was composed of cylindromatous, adenoid and solid area with marked cellular atypia. Focal invasion was identified in the adipose tissue around the tumor. Histologic and nuclear grade was III by Kleer's grade. Nodal metastasis was not found.
Adenoids* ; Adipose Tissue ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast* ; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic* ; Eosinophils ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Prognosis ; Recurrence

Herpes simplex esophagitis has been recognized with increased frequency as an opportunistic infection in immunosuppressed or debilitated patients. However, it is also documented as self-limited esophagitis in apparently healthy patients. We report two cases of herpetic esophagitis diagnosed by biopsies. One case was noted in an immunocompetent patient having gastric peptic ulcer who had clinical improvement with symptomatic treatment. And the other was noted in an immunosuppressed patient having chemotherapy for gastric carcinoma who had resolution of symptoms with acyclovir therapy. Histologically, esophageal mucosa exhibited erosion and inflammatory cellular exudate with intranuclear eosinophilic inclusions in the epithelial cells. These were confirmed by the PCR and immunohistochemical stain for herpes simplex virus using a biopsy material.
Acyclovir ; Biopsy ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Epithelial Cells ; Esophagitis* ; Exudates and Transudates ; Herpes Simplex* ; Humans ; Mucous Membrane ; Opportunistic Infections ; Peptic Ulcer ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Simplexvirus

A 52-year-old woman was admitted with a palpable mass on the abdominal wall. This tumor had developed at the same site of a previously resected dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. The biopsy specimen from the recurrent tumor revealed malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Immunohistochemistry with anti-CD34 antibody revealed diffuse linear positivity on the tumor cells of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and negativity on malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Anti CD34 antibody was valuable for a differential diagnosis of these two lesions.
Abdominal Wall ; Biopsy ; Dermatofibrosarcoma* ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Histiocytoma, Malignant Fibrous* ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: After the group education program for the families of stroke patients, we found there were improvement in family members' mental health state and coping skills. However, we also found that family caregiver's burden varied depending on patient and family factors. The purpose of this study, therefore, were to explore which factors affected caregiver's burden on family members of stroke patients and to make a background for suggesting an effective intervention strategies for them. METHOD: The subjects of this study were 187 family members of stroke patients who received the treatment from Hospital located in Seoul and Kyunggi area and they completed the written questionnaire. RESULTS: While Family member's health state, share of care responsibility, patient's functional status and family and friends support were predictors of subjective care burden, patients age and left hemiparesis among patient's functional status were predictors of objective care burden. CONCLUSIONS: Family members play a critical role in the long-term rehabilitation of a stroke patient. Hence reducing family members' care burden is very important for a patient as well as their family members. Therefore if we make intervention strategies considering these influential factors, it could be more effective to reduce family caregiver's burden.
Adaptation, Psychological ; Caregivers* ; Education ; Friends ; Gyeonggi-do ; Humans ; Mental Health ; Paresis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Rehabilitation ; Seoul ; Stroke*

The expression of the nuclear phosphoprotein p53, a product of tumor suppressor gene, has been noted in a number of human tumors as a tumor suppressor. nm23 is a gene associated with low tumor metastatic potential and has been proposed to be a metastasis suppressor gene. To assess the role of p53 and nm23 expression in colorectal tumorigenesis and the association with clinicopathological parameters, an immunohistochemical study for mutant p53 and nm23 was done using mouse monoclonal antibodies in 43 colorectal carcinomas, 55 tubular adenomas and corresponding normal mucosa. In the tubular adenomas, p53 expression was significantly correlated with the degree of atypism(p<0.05) but not with other variables as well as with nm23. In the colorectal carcinoma, there were evidence of some correlation between metastasis, laterality and p53; laterality, depth of invasion and nm23 expression, but without statistical significance. Other clinicopathologic features were not significantly correlated. In the aspect of 'adenoma-carcinoma sequence', normal mucosa was totally negative for both p53 and nm23, and they were increasingly expressed through tubular adenoma to carcinoma with statistical significance(p<0.05). Therefore, it is suggested that both p53 and nm23 expressions occur in and around the time of transition to carcinoma from adenoma but are not significantly associated with the infiltrative behavior and metastasis.
Adenoma* ; Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinogenesis ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Genes, vif ; Humans ; Mice ; Mucous Membrane ; Neoplasm Metastasis

No abstract available.
Interleukin-6* ; Rabbits*

No abstract available.
Lymphomatoid Papulosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Lymphomatoid Papulosis* ; Mycobacterium* ; Tuberculosis*

No abstract available.
Cervix Uteri* ; Female ; Hysterectomy*